EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Eight years ago John Mills, as a passionate homebrewer, beat 750 entries to win Best of Show at the Indiana State Fair’s Brewers’ Cup Competition with his How Now Brown Cow brown ale.

Oh, the places he was about to go — including as owner and head brewer at one of Franklin Street's newest hot spots, Maidens.

Within a year and a half, Mills signed on to be head brewer at the still-formative Carson’s Brewery. Hundreds of test batches of beer later, Carson’s opened to the public in July of 2013.

In late 2016, Mills took the next step and began renovating a building at Franklin and Wabash to be his own brewery and restaurant. Maidens Brewery and Pub opened this spring and has gathered a great reputation not only for Mills’ beer but also for excellent grub by chef Noel Bilbro.

“I wanted to add to the eclectic mix on Franklin Street,” said Mills. “Franklin has an Italian steakhouse, German, pizza, ice cream and tavern food… I wanted a brewery that would serve pub food that was a little elevated, but not enough to alienate people.”

“I got into the restaurant business when I was 13,” he said. “Two weeks after high school I was at Sullivan University in Louisville for culinary.”

Bilbro’s food education has been worldly. He worked at the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China, then again at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. He returned to Owensboro in 2013 to be the executive chef at the Pearl Club, then worked at Tropicana for a time before settling into the executive chef position at Ri Ra. When Ri Ra closed shortly after Maidens opened, he found Mills ready to take him right on.

Menu

The pub grub at Maidens is American but with a cool English pub influence.

One of the most popular appetizers is the house-made Scotch Eggs, which are hard to come by in Evansville. Boiled eggs are encased in Kentucky country sausage, then coated with crumbs and fried. They are accompanied by a dipping sauce of your choice.

If you miss Ri Ra’s enormous plates of fresh-fried battered fish, Maidens has you covered and then some. The fish is Icelandic haddock, and the batter is made with house beer.

“Cod to me is what you get everywhere,” said Bilbro. “Haddock is a step above it; the flavor profile is a little cleaner, and it’s an impressive looking filet too.”

The fries that accompany the fish are something really special. They, too, are European influenced in technique but made with an all-American potato, the Kennebec — a low-water, starchy, thin-skinned variety — used for potato chips and crisp, firm fries.

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Vegetarians have plenty of choices at Maidens, including this ginger and tofu stir fry with fresh veggies.(Photo: Aimee Blume, Courier & Press)

“They really crisp up well,” said Mills. “We will put our fries up against anybodys. We hand cut them, then blanch them and fry a second time to order. We go through 1600 pounds a week, I’m definitely proud of that.”

You’ll find a whole section of the menu devoted to the fries crowned with toppings from cheese curds and gravy (poutine) to fried gator to the…

Chili. The amazing chili. Bilbro grinds four types of chile for the seasoning mix — chile de arbol, pasilla, ancho and New Mexico from Hatch — and enhances the blend with more aromatic spices.

The flavor hints at Cincinnati chili, but the texture is thick with chunks of house-ground coarse sirloin and a few beans.

And the burgers are the way Mills likes them — they start with a ball of meat and smash it to order with an iron press. It is cooked fast at a high temp to get a good crust on it.

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The chili at Maidens is made with a house-ground four chile spice blend, coarse beef, and a scattering of beans.(Photo: Aimee Blume, Courier & Press)

Mills and Bilbro have made a real effort to include a variety of vegan and vegetarian items on the menu. The sesame ginger fried tofu on the appetizer list became so popular they added a bunch of fresh veggies and turned it into a stir-fried entrée.

A portabella burger is popular as well.

Also on the menu, you’ll find some Cajun favorites such as Etoufee (pick your meat) and a gator po-boy sandwich; salads with local hydroponic lettuce from Joy Lane produce, and steak tips with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes.

On Saturday and Sunday there’s even a brunch menu with house-made corned beef hash and Johnny cakes, a type of pancake made with superfine cornmeal. Chicken and waffles are available of course and a monte cristo sandwich on house French toast.

Beer

Mills serves his own house brews and maintains a number of guest taps.

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John Mills has gone from a home brewer to a head brewer to a brewery and restaurant owner.(Photo: Aimee Blume, Courier & Press)

You can identify the house beers because, true to the Maidens theme, they all have feminine names.

Fans of hoppy beers will enjoy the Courtney IPA, the Corey Pale Wheat Ale and the Elaine Pale Ale.

If you prefer a lighter taste, the Karol Blonde Ale, Suzanne Saison with hibiscus and the Bonnie radler aged with Ski soda will satisfy.

Those who like dark, toasty beers will appreciate the Lori Brown Ale, which is the original How Now Brown Cow recipe, and the Beth oatmeal stout.

Finally, if you’re looking for something unique, try the Pamela California Common, a lager fermented at ale temperatures; or the Lizzy Sour Berliner Weisse with a shot of flavored syrup.